West Caldwell, NJ
A custom nightguard is a thin, hard acrylic guard made from a scan or impression of your teeth that you wear while you sleep, so grinding and clenching wear the guard instead of your teeth, crowns, and implants. Dr. David Magid, DMD, offers two kinds: a full guard and a small front-tooth guard for jaw pain and headaches, adjusts the bite on every guard himself, and makes custom sports mouthguards too.
Nightguards
A nightguard, also called an occlusal guard, is a barrier between the upper and lower teeth worn during sleep, when clenching and grinding, called bruxism, happen. Made of hard acrylic slightly softer than enamel, it takes the wear so your teeth don't and spreads the force of clenching across the whole arch. That helps protect against the flattened edges, cracks, sensitivity, and broken fillings that grinders see over the years.
Every guard here is custom-made by a dental lab from a scan or impression of your teeth, then fitted and adjusted by Dr. Magid, so your bite meets evenly on it. Alongside the full nightguard, he fits a smaller front-tooth guard for jaw-joint and facial pain, and custom athletic mouthguards for sports. Nightguards are part of our general and family dentistry and are different from the oral appliance we make for sleep apnea.
Yes, when you grind or clench. An implant is fused directly to bone, so grinding force goes straight into the implant, its crown, and the bone around it. Without a guard, that force can chip a crown or loosen a screw. Porcelain crowns, bridges, and veneers are at risk too.
Dr. Magid checks for signs of grinding before any implant or cosmetic work and plans a guard when needed, usually once the final teeth are in.
A Different Dental Experience
The dentist who places your implants and crowns also fits the guard that protects them, and your hygienist notices the early signs of grinding at your cleanings.
DMD, General Dentist
A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine with more than 25 years in practice. He takes the scan or impression, fits and adjusts the bite on every guard himself, and checks at your visits that it is still doing its job.
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Dental Hygienist
With more than 25 years in dentistry, Jennifer has advanced training in digital scanning, diode lasers, CBCT, and nitrous oxide. She spots the flattened edges and cheek ridges that suggest you grind, asks about jaw pain at every cleaning, and checks your guard for wear and cracks.
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Office Manager
The first voice you hear and the one who checks what your plan pays toward a guard, books the fitting, and explains CareCredit or Cherry financing. Trained in dental assisting at Felician University.
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Options
The standard guard for grinding and clenching: a thin, clear acrylic shell over the upper or lower teeth, made to your scan or impression, with the biting surface adjusted so every tooth meets it evenly. Hard acrylic holds up for years, keeps the jaw in a steadier position, and does not invite chewing.
A small guard over the front teeth keeps the back teeth from touching, so the jaw muscles cannot clench with full force. It can ease jaw-joint pain and tension headaches, and Dr. Magid recommends it when muscle and joint pain is the main complaint.
For football, wrestling, hockey, and any activity where a ball, stick, or fall could hit your mouth. A custom mouthguard fits more closely than a store-bought one, so it stays in place and helps absorb an impact that could chip a tooth.
A boil-and-bite guard is bulky and the same shape for everyone, so it can shift in the night and wear through quickly. It can serve for a week or two while you wait for your custom guard. A custom guard is made to your teeth, adjusted to your bite, and checked at your visits.
Dental work costs more to replace than to protect. When you grind, a nightguard is fitted once your final crowns, veneers, or implant teeth are in, shaped to the new bite, and it is one of the most useful ways to help that work last. The guard is part of the plan from the start rather than an afterthought.
Clicking, popping, or locking in the jaw, pain in front of the ears, headaches, and a bite that feels off can be signs of a jaw joint disorder. A guard, together with changes in habit, such as less caffeine and alcohol, no gum, no chewing on pens, and attention to stress, is a common first step. When the pain does not settle, Dr. Magid refers you for further care.
Our Process
Step 1
Dr. Magid looks for signs of grinding on your teeth, checks the jaw joints and muscles, and asks about morning headaches, jaw ache, and your sleep. He then recommends the guard that fits the problem: a full nightguard for wear and cracked teeth, a front-tooth guard for muscle and joint pain, or both at different times, with a quote before anything is made.
Step 2
A digital scan or an impression of your teeth is taken and sent to the dental lab with the bite record, and the guard is made to it over about two weeks. When a tooth needs a filling or a crown first, that is done before the scan so the guard fits the finished teeth.
Step 3
The guard is placed, trimmed where it presses, and the acrylic surface is adjusted until your teeth meet it evenly all the way round. This takes a few minutes and is what separates a custom guard from a store-bought one. You leave knowing how to put it in, take it out, and clean it.
Step 4
The first few nights can feel strange, and most patients stop noticing it within a week. Rinse it in the morning, brush it with a soft brush and soap rather than toothpaste, and keep it in its case. Bring it to your cleanings so it can be checked for wear and cracks, and call us the same day if a tooth ever cracks or a crown chips despite it.
FAQ
Answers about cost, store-bought guards, how long a guard lasts, headaches and jaw pain, Invisalign and sleep apnea appliances, and cleaning.
It depends on the type. A full nightguard, a front-tooth guard, and a sports mouthguard are priced differently, and a guard made after new crowns or implants is quoted with that work. Your quote follows your exam, and many dental plans pay a share. CareCredit and Cherry financing are available.
For a week or two, yes, but not as your long-term guard. A boil-and-bite guard is bulky and the same shape for everyone, so it can shift in the night and wear through within months. A custom guard is thinner, fits your teeth, and is adjusted to your bite.
Several years for a hard acrylic guard, depending on how hard you grind. Heavy grinders wear through sooner, and light clenchers can go five years or more. A guard is replaced when it wears thin, cracks, or no longer fits after new crowns or implants.
Often, when the cause is clenching and grinding. A guard reduces overnight jaw-muscle force, and many patients with tension headaches and morning jaw ache notice a difference within weeks. It will not help headaches with another cause, and Dr. Magid will tell you if you need further care.
You do not need to. Invisalign aligners act as a guard while you are in treatment, and a nightguard can be made afterward to protect the finished result. A sleep apnea appliance also separates the teeth, so it does the guard’s job on the nights you wear it.
Rinse it in cool water every morning, brush it gently with a soft toothbrush and a little mild soap, and let it dry in its case. Avoid toothpaste, which scratches acrylic, and hot water, which warps it. Bring it in if it discolors, cracks, or feels loose.
Conveniently Located Near You
Located in a serene colonial medical building on Clinton Road, across from Walgreens and Broadway Square, our office is designed for effortless visits. Enjoy a first-floor suite, free on-site parking, and a wheelchair-accessible entrance, so you can step straight into care that is focused on you.
First-Floor Suite
Free On-Site Parking
Wheelchair Accessible
